Motor vehicle headliners have been mounted to the body structure of a vehicle through a series of individual operations on a vehicle assembly line. Several of these operations involve the installation of the headliner substrate to the vehicle and then the installation of various accessory components to either the substrate or the vehicle to hold the substrate in position. This type of vehicle assembly line requires numerous assembly stations and numerous assembly operators to fully install a headliner and all the accessories.
Once the headliner substrate has been inserted into the car an alignment pin is inserted through an opening in the substrate to engage an opening in the sheet metal structure of the vehicle such that the headliner may be aligned. Once aligned the headliner would then be secured to the sheet metal structure typically with screws extending therethrough. Thereafter the various other accessory components such as assist straps, sun visors, lighting modules or similar devices could be installed.
The herein invention is concerned with reducing number of steps in the above process and providing a sunshade fastener combination which is made off-line and is useful in the final vehicle end product. Specifically the herein combination involves a snap-fit fastener which is snapped into position into an opening in the body structure of the vehicle and a sunshade secured to a pivot rod which is mounted by the snap-fit fastener. Hence the assembly of the snap-fit fastener not only serves to mount the sunshade but further serves to align the substrate and to secure the substrate to the vehicle body structure.
More specifically the fastener includes means for securing a pivot rod extending from the sunshade to the motor vehicle such that the rod may be pivoted within the fastener, yet is sufficiently stable to maintain the sunshade as desired. The fastener further includes a decorative bezel which acts to engage the substrate such that as the fastener is secured to the vehicle the bezel compresses the substrate between the vehicle body structure and the bezel to thereby secure the substrate in position. Furthermore, the fastener acts in conjunction with at least one opening defined by the sheet metal structure such that the fastener itself partially slides therethrough and includes flexible legs for snapping behind sheet metal to secure the fastener, sunshade and if appropriate the substrate of the headliner, all to the body structure of the vehicle. In some applications a second opening may likewise be used to help position the fastener.
With this type of fastener it is not necessary to provide any receptacles other than an opening stamped in the sheet metal structure. Some prior art snap in fasteners for sunshades have been utilized wherein a receptacle is secured to the sheet metal and thereafter the pivot rod of the sunshade may be snapped into receptacle or the like. The herein fastener is specifically utilized to reduce the complexity of motor vehicle construction such that a mere stamped opening in the appropriate sheet metal structure is all the pre-installation treatment necessary within the vehicle structure to receive the fastener.
By assembling the sunshade fastener other than on the vehicle assembly line the number of stations and the length of the assembly line may be reduced and the potential for error created by the assembly line conditions is also reduced.
Furthermore by providing a combination sunshade and fastener which utilizes the sheet metal opening in the body structure to secure the sunshade to the body structure and substrate, the same or similar opening to that opening previously used to align the substrate is used to accomplish additional functions. The fastener/sunshade combination can be used to align the substrate instead of a separate alignment pin being inserted to obtain alignment between the headliner and the vehicle.
In prior art devices it has been necessary for the installer to physically enter the vehicle and to screw the fastener for the sunshade to the vehicle body structure. This required the operator to move from a standing position outside the car to a sitting position typically on the door sill or the bottom frame of the vehicle. From this position the operator must then reach upwardly and drive in screws to secure this prior art sunshade fastener into position. The surface adjacent the screws being driven is a show or decorative surface, hence any slip of the screwdriver could potentially create a situation where either the fastener itself or the substrate forming the headliner may be damaged and consequently need replacement. The herein snap-fit device would eliminate any such potential for damage.
The fastener as described herein includes a cover and base used to secure therebetween a pivot rod having a sunshade mounted thereto. The fastener also includes a bezel having a decorative surface which may engage the substrate and secure the substrate as the fastener is mounted. However, it is to be understood that the fastener may just as well be a single piece having a torque fitting contained therein which would perform the same function as the specific fastener described herein. The fastener is described as a two piece fastener because of commonality with fasteners as may be used in the assembly of modular headliners. It is expected that a single piece fastener incorporating in the same concepts will be developed for use with a fastener/sunshade combination for installation as described herein.